Biodiesel Ethanol

Once you have mastered the use of methanol to create biodiesel, ethanol can be used to replace the methanol for an added challenge. Using ethanol in biodiesel processes is not as easy as using methanol, but it can be done. Don't expect to save money by using ethanol, however, because you will need to buy very dry (199 proof or higher) ethanol for the chemical reaction to take place, which isn't cheap.

When you use ethanol to make biodiesel fuel, you should use potassium hydroxide as a catalyst instead of sodium hydroxide because sodium hydroxide takes a very long time to dissolve in ethanol and the whole process will take forever. Potassium hydroxide is harder to find than sodium hydroxide because it is not as common. With a little luck, you should be able to find it at a chemical supply store.

Why Produce Biodiesel Ethanol?

Some people might be interested in using ethanol to make biodiesel fuel in order to create a fuel that is completely fossil fuel free for environmental reasons. While this is a noble cause, it's important to realize that making biodiesel with ethanol entails several problems, such as requiring oil with very few free fatty acids.

If you are looking for a challenge, using ethanol to make biodiesel fuel can be just that. However, using ethanol is sometimes a matter of striking a lucky balance, whereas methanol produces more consistent results with less effort, has fewer cold flow issues, and offers a higher conversion rate into fuel. At EvolutionBiodieselKits.com, we recommend using methanol (derived from renewable resources, if possible) as a base for the biodiesel process, but our processors will work with ethanol if that's your choice.